Clip connections are widely distributed and are mainly used in particular when as part of as simple and economical as possible an assembly two components have to be fastened to one another. Particularly practical clip connections are usable without tools which extremely simplifies their handling.
A clip connection comprises at least one plug-in pin with the help of which a first component can be fixed to a second component. To this end, the plug-in pin passes through an opening in the first component and an opening in the second component aligned with the former, wherein the plug-in pin with a head supports itself on the first component and engages on the second component with engagement elements. It is likewise possible to fasten the plug-in pin fixed on the first component so that during the joining the plug-in pin merely has to be plugged into the opening of the second component. In addition to such simple, one-piece clip connections there also exist multi-piece clip connections, which in addition to the plug-in pin comprise a sleeve into which the plug-in pin can be plugged in the joining direction. With such multi-piece clip connections, one-sided clip connections and two-sided clip connections can be distinguished. Examples for one-sided clip connections are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,806, U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,287 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,586 B1. With these known multi-piece, one-sided clip connections, the sleeve is initially plugged through an opening in the first component and an opening in the second component that is aligned with the former, until engagement elements of the sleeve engage on the second component. At the same time, a collar of the sleeve lies against the first component. With the help of the plug-in pin, this engagement connection can now be locked in that the plug-in pin is plugged into the sleeve in the joining direction. Because of this, the plug-in pin locks the radially resilient engagement element of the sleeve. The plug-in pin in turn can comprise engagement elements which then engage with a corresponding engagement contour of the sleeve. Such multi-piece plug connections are one-sided, since both originate from the first component and bring about a locked engagement with the second component.
In contrast with this, the plug-in pin and the sleeve, in the case of a multi-piece, two-sided clip connection, are arranged on different components. Such two-sided clip connections require more effort on the component side but facilitate the assembly.
Independently of the one-piece or multi-piece as well as independently of the one-sided or two-sided configuration of the respective clip connection there is the basic problem with each clip connection that the radially resilient engagement elements have to be moved in the joining direction slightly beyond the associated engagement contour so that they can engage with the engagement contour. Because of this, conventional clip connections of necessity have axial play. Such axial play however cannot be tolerated in a plurality of assemblies so that no clip connections are used there.